Academic Advising

It is recommended, and in some cases required, that students consult with an advisor prior to registration. The advisor will review the proposed coursework and inform students of the requirements for graduation. In addition, the advisor helps students achieve breadth in their curriculum and provides other needed assistance.

Academic advisors strive to avoid errors when advising students about program requirements; however, the college cannot assume liability for errors in advising. Students are responsible for knowing the requirements for their degree and for acquiring current information about their academic status.

Academic Advising Center

The Academic Advising Center in the College of Liberal Arts helps Liberal Arts students plan curricula, choose majors, make vocational and post-graduate plans, and resolve a variety of academic matters. Services are provided by a staff of full-time professional advisors and part-time faculty advisors. The center informs students about the results of placement testing and assignment into corresponding courses. Monitoring of academic progress and graduation clearance is also the responsibility of the Advising Center. Through individual interviews and group workshops, the center offers the following services:

New Student Orientation for freshmen and first-semester transfer students

Curriculum Advising for undeclared Liberal Arts students and declared majors in the Humanities and Social Sciences who have completed fewer than 30 credits. Students enrolled in the University Honors Program are advised in the Honors Office in Tuttleman Learning Center until they have completed 60 semester hours. All other students are advised in their major departments.

Registration Assistance for students, including online processing of original registrations, schedule revisions, and course withdrawals according to University Policy. Note that no changes will be processed unless the student presents the request in person and waits for processing and a receipt of the transaction.

Academic counseling provides an opportunity for students to develop a meaningful education plan compatible with life goals. Students can also meet with advisors to discuss a variety of academic concerns and develop some possible solutions. Students on academic probation or experiencing academic difficulty work with advisors to learn strategies for overcoming the obstacles to success.

Pre-Professional Advising for students planning to enter law school. Pre-professional advising for the health professions is offered through the Academic Resource Center.

Intra-University Transfer (IUT) Advising for students changing programs and moving to the College of Liberal Arts from other schools and colleges within Temple. During mandatory group advising sessions, students transferring to Liberal Arts learn about collegial degree requirements, policies, and procedures, and complete their IUT applications.

Readmission interviews

Mandatory Graduation Reviews for students who have completed 80 or more credits and are approximately two semesters away from graduation

Special requests that require students to petition, including those to attend another university for a semester or summer course, be graded in one course on a credit/no credit basis, register for an overload, evaluate credit by examination, or receive approval for an exception to policy

Departmental Advisors

Students are advised by a departmental advisor within their major once they have accumulated at least 30 credits and have declared a major. Through contact with departmental faculty, students gain an in-depth appreciation of a specific discipline and discover opportunities associated with their field of interest.

Student Grievance Procedures

Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972 requires that each college or university establish due process for the resolution of academic grievances for the purpose of protecting students from prejudiced and capricious academic evaluation. All undergraduate students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts have a right to appeal grades which they deem unfair and unreasonable. The student must provide evidence indicating a mistake, fraud, or bad faith on the part of an instructor.

Examples of student grievance matters include (but are not limited to):

Homework score is missing from final grade calculation

Test score is miscalculated

Failure of instructor to follow grading policy on syllabus

Students will not be allowed to grieve a grade unless it is accompanied by such evidence. A student must initiate the first stage of an academic grievance no later than thirty days after the beginning of the fall or spring semester immediately following the completion of the course in which the grievance occurred. Students should first contact their instructor to discuss the grade(s) in question, and if the matter cannot be resolved at that level, students are then urged to talk with the chairperson for the department in which this course was given. (Chairperson information is available in this publication.) Copies of the College of Liberal Arts Grievance Procedure can be obtained from the Dean's Office, Anderson Hall, 12th Floor. For more information, students should contact the college's Grievance Officer, Dr. Keith Gumery at gumery@temple.edu or 215-204-2072.

Non Academic Grievances

Students may have grievances that are not academic in nature. Such grievances should be directed to other offices on campus, including the Office of the Dean of Students, the Affirmative Action Office, Campus Housing, and other units on campus. Students unsure as to where to proceed with a non-academic grievance should consult either with the Office of the Dean of Students or the college’s Academic Advising Center.

Continuing Student Registration

Continuing student registration is the period during the fall and spring semesters when currently enrolled students should register. During the fall semester, freshmen meet with advisors in a group setting to discuss course selections for the upcoming spring semester. Freshmen and transfer students with fewer than 30 credits will be unable to register for their second semester unless they attend this mandatory group advising session. DARS for all students are available on the web through OWLnet.

New transfer students and continuing students in academic good standing are encouraged to meet with their advisors before processing their schedules via OWLnet registration. Students ineligible to use online registration are required to register in the Academic Advising Center.

Pre-Professional Advising

Early Admission to Health Professions Graduate Programs

Students in the College of Liberal Arts who have been admitted to graduate health-related professional schools at the end of their third year and have completed 90 semester hours of College of Liberal Arts or College of Science and Technology coursework, including the requirements of the college and their majors, with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 may petition the dean for the transfer of their first year in professional study toward the completion of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

Preparation for the Study of Law

All law schools accept the degree of Bachelor of Arts as fulfillment of their requirements for admission. The Pre-Legal Education Committee of the Association of American Law Schools and the Temple University School of Law stress the importance of a well-rounded education. Since the legal profession makes extensive use of both the written and spoken English language as professional tools, the law student should have extensive preparation in English in undergraduate courses. Because a large part of a lawyer's work requires problem solving and sound judgment, students should take courses that help develop creative power in thinking. The study of law, furthermore, rests upon a broad knowledge of western civilization, including its political, economic, and social institutions; hence, the student preparing for law should schedule courses which afford this broad background. Some law schools also recommend two semesters of accounting. After selecting a field of concentration, the student schedules courses in consultation with both the advisor in the area of concentration and with the pre-law advisor in the Academic Advising Center of the College of Liberal Arts.

Courses of Special Interest to Pre-Law Students

While no specific undergraduate courses or majors are required for admission to accredited law schools, pre-law students are advised to select courses and programs of study that are intellectually challenging, while helping to develop necessary skills and knowledge.

Courses that are "law-related" because they either require reading of law cases or concern the study of particular legal issues are listed below for the convenience of interested students. Law school admissions officials prefer that pre-law students take very few such courses, believing that the teaching of law more appropriately belongs in the province of the law school. It may be useful, however, for students who are uncertain about attending law school to test their level of interest by selecting one or more of the following courses in the College of Liberal Arts:

Department

Course #

Course Name

Hours

RCI

American Studies

3033

Courtroom in American Society

3

Criminal Justice

2501

Introduction to Criminal Law

3

Criminal Justice

3201

The American Jury System

3

Criminal Justice

3502

Criminal Procedure: Prosecution & Adjudication

3

History

2105

Race & the U.S. Constitution

3

RS

Philosophy

1062

Morality & the Law

3

IN

Philosophy

2154

Political Philosophy

3

Philosophy

3243

Philosophy of Law

3

Political Science

3121

American Constitutional Principles I

3

Political Science

3123

American Constitutional Principles II: Civil Rights in America

3

Political Science

3411

Classical Political Philosophy

3

Sociology

3243

Social Movements

3

Women's Studies

4004

Women and Criminal Justice

3

To develop the communications skills of reading and comprehension, expository writing, and speaking:

Department

Course #

Course Name

Hours

RCI

Communication Sciences & Disorders

1108

Introduction to Linguistics

3

Adult & Organizational
Development

2214

Conflict & Communication

3

English

2796

Writing the Research Essay

3

WI

English

2496

Introduction to Writing Non-Fiction

3

WI

English

2000+

Upper-level literature courses

3

STOC

1111

Public Speaking

3

STOC

2112

Persuasion

3

To develop analytical reasoning skills:

Department

Course #

Course Name

Hours

RCI

Philosophy

1055

Critical Thinking

3

Philosophy

1066

Introduction to Logic

3

QB

Philosophy

1101

Introduction to Philosophy

3

Philosophy

2121

Introduction to Ethical Theory

3

STOC

2222

Argumentation

3

Computer Science and Mathematics

Natural Science

Since most law schools require applicants to submit the score earned on the Law School Aptitude Test, administered periodically by the Law School Admissions Service, students planning to study law should consult the pre-law advisor prior to the senior year to determine whether the school to which they plan to apply will require such a test and to determine the dates when such examinations are given. Prospective law students should consult the pre-law advisor about requirements for admission to law school, law school scholarship assistance, and opportunities in the legal profession. To satisfy statutory requirements, early in their senior year, prospective law students should consult the pre-law advisor concerning the legal requirements for practicing law in the state in which the student desires to study and practice.

Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, International

Students interested in College of Liberal Arts pre-law studies are encouraged to join Phi Alpha Delta. Its pre-law program assists "undergraduate students to make an 'informed choice' in selecting law as a career, deciding which law school to attend, and in preparing for the rigors of law school."

Phi Alpha Delta was formed "to advance the ideals of liberty and equal justice under law; to stimulate excellence in scholarship; to inspire the virtues of compassion and courage; to foster integrity and professional competence; to promote the welfare of its members; and to encourage their moral, intellectual, and cultural advancement." For more information about Phi Alpha Delta and College of Liberal Arts pre-law society, please contact Dr. Paul Crowe, pre-law advisor, at 215-204-8591 or pcrowe@temple.edu.